Wound treatment system and method of use
A wound treatment system including a treatment chamber, a source of an aqueous antibiotic, a source of an oxygen-enriched gas, and a control system adapted to alternately surround a human limb with antibiotic mist and the oxygen enriched gas, which can be used to heal lesions such as foot ulcers. A method of treating lesions such as foot ulcers is also disclosed, that includes bathing the lesion in antibiotic mist and contacting it with oxygen gas.
1. A method for treating diabetic foot ulcers, comprising:
(a) introducing a human foot having a foot ulcer into a treatment chamber;
(b) surrounding the foot in the treatment chamber with a mist containing water and an antibiotic; and
(c) surrounding the foot in the treatment chamber with an O 2 -enriched gas without increasing the pressure around the foot to 22 mm Hg.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed sequentially multiple times in a single treatment.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibiotic is a topical antibiotic.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said antibiotic is selected from betadine, isopropyl alcohol, bacitracin, and hydrogen peroxide, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said antibiotic is ionic silver.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment chamber is a disposable plastic bag, further comprising sealing the bag about the leg in such a manner that the mist and the oxygen can surround the foot.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the O 2 displaces the mist.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the O 2 is substantially pure O 2 .
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises repeating the treatment periodically until the foot ulcer is healed.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treatment chamber comprises a foam cuff adapted to seal around a human leg.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) is performed for about 2 to about 30 minutes.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein step (b) is performed for approximately 15 minutes.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed for about one minute to about 15 minutes.
14. The method Of claim 13 , wherein step (c) is performed for approximately 5 minutes.
15. The method of claim 2 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed 4 times, the single treatment lasting approximately 80 minutes.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mist is an adiabatic mist.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed sequentially.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising massaging the foot with low frequency sound waves.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the foot with pulsed light.